for him. Come, I will help you. Hugh, get down to Nitschkan's and warn
them if you can."

Gallito ran through the cabin after her. This commotion roused Seagreave
and after calling once or twice to Pearl and receiving no answer, he
made his way to the doorway, appearing there, thin and white, still upon
crutches.

"Hello, Seagreave," called Hanson, still with his air of bravado.
"You've been a long time coming to that door. I been sitting back in the
bushes watching for you as patient as a cat watches a mouse-hole, with
my gun all cocked and my finger on the trigger, ready to pick you off
the minute you showed up. Nothing against you personally, but the Black
Pearl didn't spare me, so why should I--oh, you needn't reach for your
gun. Good old Bob, ain't that what the Pearl calls him, has got me
covered."

"So have I for that matter," said Seagreave.

"All right, if it amuses you." Hanson shrugged his shoulders
indifferently and leaned up against a tree which, growing before the
cabin, had escaped the sweep of the avalanche. "Lord! Don't I know what
you two cut-throats stand ready to do to me? And no one any the wiser.
Well, what the hell do I care? But say, Seagreave, since we're all
having this nice little afternoon tea talk together, sociable as a
Sunday school, it might do you good to take some account of the
has-beens. Here's Bob, he had her before I did, but that ain't taking
away the fact that I had her once, by God! I guess everybody understands
that there's more behind those emeralds than the pretty story we've all
heard so often. The Black Pearl certainly ain't cheap."